Conspiracy Theories

Whickwithy

I'm not sure that the Republican party isn't even scarier.

KatRobin

In agreement with you WW. My other comment was about the US "new" relations with Cuba.
Now, you may think I'm being silly here, but what's with all these stories in the press about alien looking animals being washed up on the shores?
Any takers on this story?

LuDux

Whickwithy · Post edited by Whickwithy at 2014-12-31 08:27:22

Right, Kat, Cuba. My response on that would so negatively reflect on my view of the U.S. that I'll let it pass.

If you mean, alien, like from another planet, it sounds like those sensationalists magazines that are finding aliens playing cards on the ISS and seen gleefully peeing on a boulder on Mars (I exaggerate).

My theory on aliens is that, when we find them, it will be because the astronomers have found something puzzling in deep space, some huge thing going on out there and, somehow, it will dawn on us that it is actually an advanced civilization's vast engineering project. At least, I think that may be one of the best ways for our first exposure. Make a good novel too!

Pet

Whickwithy said:My theory on aliens is that, when we find them, it will be because the astronomers have found something puzzling in deep space, some huge thing going on out there and, somehow, it will dawn on us that it is actually an advanced civilization's vast engineering project. At least, I think that may be one of the best ways for our first exposure. Make a good novel too!

Isn't that the basis of 2001: A Space Odyssey? That's a film based on a short story, but there must also be novels on the theme.

A funny thing about that film. I still pronounce the film title as "Two thousand and one". But I'd now pronounce the year 2001 as "Twenty-oh-one".

Whickwithy

Pet said:

Isn't that the basis of 2001: A Space Odyssey? That's a film based on a short story, but there must also be novels on the theme.

"2001: A Space Oddyssey" is not about discovery of a alien species at all, right? It's about a computer in space going a tad crazy. I'm quite a fan of SciFi and have never run across such a topic. The one thing that continues to disappoint me about SciFi is there is never real improvement in the human race. Well, almost never and the few times that someone has tried to convey some improvement, it's pretty lukewarm. The closest I can think of is Greg Bear's "Eon" (I think). At least, humans relied more on their intelligence than their paradigms. But, if I remember correctly, they were still pretty messed up.

iuventus · Post edited by iuventus at 2014-12-31 13:45:47

2001 reveals/suggests that extraterrestrial beings induced intelligent life, or at least affected evolution, on Earth and then destroyed it. (In the book, he actually sees alien species.) It was written as a novel with the screenplay, and it utilizes short stories written previously by Clarke. I cannot remember whether or not the bigwigs are aware of exactly what it is that they're searching for, but they know enough to lie to the ship's crew and use the computer to do so. The plot is not clear through the film, which seems to me to be more of an artsy endeavor.

2012's Prometheus explores a similar theme. In this film, however, the crew is following a map through the stars. The map was found in some ruins in the style of Ancient Aliens; so, they are at least partly aware of what they're looking for, or at least that they're looking for something. I think that one of the scientists believes it to be the origins of life on Earth. There was some sort of mastermind deception, again via programmed intelligence.

Perhaps, someone can correct, clarify, fill in the blanks.

I can't imagine that there aren't hundreds of other sci-fi short stories and novels exploring the same ideas.

LuDux

Most sci-fi is about future like Animal Farm is about farming

LuDux

Whickwithy

Right! The monolith! I had forgotten all about it. What I'm thinking more of, though, is the idea of some of these monstrous events in distant space, such as hypernovae (not a real good example), that are not easily explained finally dawning on us that they are engineering works.

Urban_Tribesman

(Continued from Entertain Us Thread)

Providing, of course, that she's dead !........ :-\"

LuDux

Urban_Tribesman

Back to my school days when we were promised a new ice age instead of global warming.
Wrap up !
http://wired.uk/9W5BcK

Whickwithy

Just remember that climate is just like weather. Summer doesn't go directly from cold to hot. They have a saying in Japan that goes something like "three days cool, two days warm, then three days warm and two days cool". Not a directly translation as I barely remember it.

KatRobin

Yes I remember that too UT- I even remember the name of the prophet, Fred Hoyle! Those were the days eh? ....mass paranoia....AIDS leaflets, Prepare Yourself For Nuclear War leaflets, the Thatcher Years lol!
Nothing's changed.

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